ML20245F128

Comments on Difficulties Facing Community in Developing Radiological Emergency Response Plans

ML20245F128
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim
Issue date:	06/26/1989
From:	Thompson A PLYMOUTH, MA
To:	Carr K NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
NUDOCS 8908140166
Download: ML20245F128 (2)

Text

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TOWN OF PLYMOUTH -

OERCE OF

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l SELECTMEN k

R THE SELECTMEN "l=iN"Aus 11 Lincoln Street GEORGE W. CAMERON wit 11AM R'GidmN .

Plymouth. Massachusetts 02360 []Uj^ojs$ chairman EXECtmVE SECRETARY.

(508)747 1620

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June.26, 1989 Kenneth M. Carr, Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1 White-Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852

Dear Chairman Carr:

P1' ease note that your reply to our April 25, and May 15, 1989 letters was dated June 15, 1989, a time lag of seven weeks in one instance and four-weeks in the second instance. May we. respectfully suggest.that, at a time of restart activity, this lengthy response time leads to prolonged tension in Plymouth.

We take exception to your remarks in the next to the last paragraph of your letter. We testified at length last December, only six months ago, on the great difficulties which faced this community in developing radiological emergency response plans. They are geographic: 103 square miles, five individually separated village centers, only three over-burdened roads as evacuation routes, our backs to the sea, the second largest school population in the state in eleven dispersed schools, 45,000 population, one of the fastest developing communities in southeastern Massachusetts.

To the south is located Pilgrim Nuclear Powers Station so that that direction is effectively precluded as an escape route.- We can evacuate in only two directions, north and west.

We testified that we have had a full-time civil defense director for one year and a half.  !

You are quite wrong in thinking we have not assigned a priority to radiological emergency planning. You have always accepted the views of your own staff or Boston Edison, the licensee, about the planning of the Town of Plymouth. They have given you the most rosy picture at every opportunity even though you had our testimony and that of other communities in the emergency planning zone.

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l Kenneth M. Carr, Chairman Nuclear Regulatory commission June 26, 1989 Page 2 An enormous amount of work has been accomplished, but we still have no approval from two school committees who have serious doubts about the draft. Our drafts are still untested by you. The reception centers are in a state of flux. These are serious problems.

In the face of our many, many letters and our testimony, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission nevertheless permitted the re-start of the troubled Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. If you thought we were ready, we who have responsibility for planning, did not. We told you that repeatedly. You did not believe us. And therein lies the difficulty. The risks are ours. The responsibility for re-start remains yours.

Very truly yours, BOARD OF SELECTMEN

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,w /w  ;. utLtw..p-v o Alba C. Thompson #

Chairman ACT/1t

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